01x24 - Thaumazein

[bunniefuu]

As long as I can make a living,
I'm satisfied.

I don't want anything else.

Wait a second!

If that's the case, why haven't you
thrown away your astrolabe?

I was thinking of selling it
at some point.

Just now,

I said that I baked bread
according to your calculations.

- But in fact, that's a lie.
- Huh?

The truth is,

I've been baking batches
that are a little higher quality

than your figures.

Small changes to the recipe

or the way it's sifted
can change the taste.

To avoid the authorities catching on,

I've done so without raising the price.

Do you know why I would take such a risk?

Because baking bread is what I love.

And serving it too, of course.

But then, you can't say the same, can you?

As long as you can make a living,
you're satisfied?

That's an awful lie.

Because it's yourself,
not me, that you're lying to.

Your father told me something, long ago.

A wise man in some far-off time and place,

someone named Socrates
or Aristo-something once said,

"All things have arete."

Some inherent potential

or function only they can realize.

A bird's arete is flight.

A chair's arete is that it can be sat on.

According to those philosophers,

a human's arete is their ability to think.

With that in mind,

my arete is baking bread.

So what's yours?

This Aristo-something-or-other
had another idea.

"Human beings are happiest
when they delight in

that which is best and most akin to them."

The things that interest you

are the mission that God has granted you.

They're how you remain true to yourself.

So don't hide them.

Dive in while you're still young.

No one will complain about that.

But...

Well, that last part wasn't quite right.

A lot of people might complain.

But it doesn't matter.

Move forward.

Anyway, it's up to you.

ORB: ON THE MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH

Hey, Albert!

EPISODE 24
THAUMAZEIN

Deliver this bread
to the church at this address.

Not the usual one?

No.

I recently met the new priest
who resides there.

I promised him a delivery
from my next batch.

It's not that far away. I'd appreciate it.

Very well.

Is this it?

Excuse me!

There's no one here.

Welcome to the confessional.

I'm the priest here.

I admire your bravery
in setting foot inside.

C-Confessional?

Yes.

As the name implies,

this is a place for the troubled
to confess their sins.

As God's minister, I will grant you
forgiveness and reconciliation.

You mean like the Sacrament of Penance?

I've never seen it done
in a private room like this.

Indeed. I believe it's a novel idea.

However, I expect it
to grow popular in the future.

He's taking this a bit lightly.

Now, then. Please confess your sins.

W-Wait, I only came here
to deliver an order of bread.

There's no need to hesitate.

Or is it that you don't trust me?

Well, uh...

I can't see your face,
and you're oddly persistent.

To be honest, I find it hard to trust you.

That's an unfortunate surprise.

But then, you are my first visitor,

and my nerves may be on edge too.

His nerves are on edge?

Still, this is a precious opportunity.

Don't you have even one worry?

Well, there is one.

What is it?

I guess it's that
I was told to attend university.

You don't want to attend?

No.

Why not?

It's just as the Holy Scripture says.

To put it simply,

the desire to know things is nonsense.

Is there a reason you think that?

I'd rather forget it.

Anyway, I'll leave the bread here.

Doesn't that mean

you haven't forgotten yet?

How about this?

If it will be of help,

I'm happy to tell you a secret worry
of my own when you're finished.

Why not get it off your chest?

Sometimes, speaking of matters
can bring great relief.

Well... in that case...

I've got nothing else to do.

I might as well.

First things first.

Where are you from?

A village far away.

Oh? Which one?

A village called Brudzewo.

I see.

I was born there
as the son of a free peasant.

When I was young, my mother

passed away.

After that, my father
raised me on his own.

Did something happen
when you were a child?

My father

placed importance on learning.

There's one thing he told me
again and again.

I still remember it by heart.

"My son,

we are forced to endure a hard life."

"But there are many others
whose lives are much harder."

"There are those who say
farmers like us don't need education."

"But that's not the case."

"If every person grows smarter,
and we work together,

then someday, we can surely create a world

where no one suffers,
and we all live comfortably."

"That's the reason we learn," he said.

He was fortunate to earn praise
from a village elder

who was impressed with his attitude.

He was allowed to read books
most commoners never see.

He brought all the books home,
no matter what the subject.

At that time, my father

could never have imagined
it would be the root of his demise.

In any case, that's why
I learned to read at an early age.

We also had an astrolabe at home,

and I would record
observations with it every night.

You enjoyed observing the heavens?

Yes, back then I did.

In those days, I was practically
obsessed with the night sky.

Like a fool, I never tired of it.

I gazed upward every night.

I can't explain why,

but somehow,

it stirred my heart.

Father! I made a surprising discovery!

What is it?

To the north, right above us,

there's a star that never moves!

Is that so?

That's the one they call Polaris.

Polaris?

Tell me then, my son.

What use does that discovery serve?

Huh?

For example, a star that doesn't move

is very useful for navigation,
like a map of the sky.

It's only when

discoveries are useful in that way
that they have meaning.

Without that, they're a waste.

You should always be aware of that.

Still,

you did well to discover that, my son.

I'm proud of you.

Do you enjoy studying?

Yes, Father.

What do you want to know?

Well... everything.

The night sky always surprises me!

Why are there stars up there?

Why do they only come out at night?

How many are there? Where are they?

When did they appear? And for how long?

In the first place, what are stars?

There's so much I want to know!

And why do you want to know?

What?

I don't know why.

But I can feel it in my heart.

I want to know.

It's your own desire, then?

Huh?

My son.

From now on, whenever you learn

or feel the desire to know,

remember this.

You must doubt.

Doubt your own knowledge,
conventional wisdom,

and even motives and means.

The pursuit of knowledge
can grow beyond control.

It can become an incurable monster

that can bring
irreversible change to the world.

Take time to doubt the path you're on,

and if it doesn't serve humankind,
then go no further.

But if you still want to learn,

I'll arrange a tutor just for you.

Y-You mean it?

Yes.

This isn't something just anyone can have.

You must show proper gratitude to God.

That's when I met him.

My teacher.

Albert,

this is the tutor I told you about before.

His name is Rafal.

ORB: ON THE MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH

Orb.

Let's see.

You were close.

Maybe this one was a little too hard.

Okay, this is a good place
to take a break.

R-Right.

By the way,

I saw an astrolabe in your room.

Do you stargaze?

Uh, yes.

I keep a record every day.

That's excellent.

Do you like to gaze at the stars too?

I wouldn't say I "like" it.

I love it.

I was born in somewhat
special circumstances.

I had no parents.

Fortunately, I was taken in by a scholar,

and I had an affluent lifestyle.

But I'd be lying
if I said I wasn't lonely.

It was the stars

that saved me then.

As for why,

I realized something one day
while I gazed at the sky.

I realized that a world exists

beyond our own.

We're not alone.

The feeling excited me.

What's more,

all the stars occupy the same sky.

We must be connected by something bigger.

Connected by some form of truth.

I decided to live on
and find out what that is.

- But I...
- Huh?

I don't have any big goals like that.

The records I make
aren't useful for anything.

They can't help anyone

or serve the faith.

That means they're meaningless.

Meaningless?

So then, why keep records every day?

Well, I don't know why.

I just want to know...

But I can't keep doing it
for selfish reasons like that.

Albert, take a look at Sagittarius.

Huh? Sagittarius?

What is that?

You made observations
without knowing the constellations?

That's pretty bold for a child.

In that case, follow my finger.

Over there is his head.

And there is his bow.

This is his torso.

The last point here

is where we draw his legs.

What do you think?

Doesn't it look like
a centaur with a bow and arrow?

No.

It doesn't?
Well, it is a bit of a stretch.

S-Sorry.

Even so, isn't it easier to remember now?

If you draw connections
between disorderly points,

you'll see things
that you didn't see before.

How do people come up with such things?

Just how do our powers of reason work?

In Ancient Greece, the constellations
were associated with myths.

Each one has a different story.

Sagittarius is associated
with Chiron, the centaur sage.

A sage is an explorer.

They never bow to challenges

and passionately pursue universal truths.

Do you understand how that feels?

Don't the stars make you feel it too?

Thaumazein.

Thaumazein?

Yes, according to
the ancient philosophers,

philosophy begins with wonder.

We feel it when our bodies shudder
in response to the beauty of the universe

and when our spirit compels us
to get closer to that beauty.

In other words,

it's the urge to stop and question.

God created this world,

and humankind seeks to understand it.

I know of no nobler desire.

To succeed in that quest,

I'll pay any price.

Even if that price is life.

I'll gladly toss it aside.

You said you were worried, right?

You don't know
if what you're doing is useful.

You also said
that the vague desire to learn

is meaningless and wrong.

In response,

I'm going to say something
quite inappropriate.

The idea that knowledge must be useful
to other people or to society

is nonsense.

Do it because you want to know.

That's all that matters.

And then, Albert,

remember this.

When it comes to the pursuit of truth,
one thing is most important.

You must believe.

In your intuition,

in the beauty of this world.

No matter what happens,

I'll never criticize your curiosity.

I've talked for too long.

Let's move on to the next lesson.

I guess we'll try algebra now.

- Excuse me.
- Huh?

Are there other constellations too?

How many?

What kind?

If you don't mind,
would you teach me more next time?

Yes, of course.

This is astonishing.

You've improved so much.

It's remarkable.

You've even mastered quadrature.

Thanks.

Did something change?

Well, it's like...

After what you told me,

I realized that mastering numbers

would bring me closer
to the secrets of the cosmos.

When I thought that,

it's like the urge
to learn came naturally.

That's wonderful.

Actually, there's a small meeting
happening tomorrow.

Others who share
the same motivation will gather.

The group's creed is
"the free pursuit of truth."

It doesn't matter what you study.

All sorts of ideas and opinions
are shared there.

You can even experiment with thoughts
that would be dangerous elsewhere.

It's really inspiring.

How about it?

You're very young,

but you seem to have what it takes.

Will you attend?

Huh?

You mean it?

I d-definitely want to go!

Yeah? I'm glad.

In that case, I'll tell your father too.

I hope you look forward to it.

I will!

Th-This is...

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